Chapter Six: The Murder Maniac, the Worthless Fighter, and the Janitor

Li Luyan slowly opened her eyes, her gaze gradually focusing on the supermarket ceiling. Suddenly, Yu Yue’s face came close, his nose almost touching her forehead.

She felt weak all over, her head pounding fiercely, yet she forced herself to sit up.

“Awake?” Yu Yue’s eyes sparkled brightly. “What’s your ability?”

Supporting herself on her elbows, Li Luyan sat up. She raised her hand, her mind flickering, and instantly an axe appeared in her palm.

“Spatial storage?” Lin Youwei gasped. “That’s... totally cheating! So, all the food in the supermarket, you took it all?”

Li Luyan nodded silently, feeling the intense throbbing in her head.

Yu Yue looked at her excitedly, his eyes shining. “Great! That means we don’t have to worry about supplies anymore!”

“Not only that, I can ‘see’ very far away,” Li Luyan smiled faintly. “For example...” She raised her hand, fingers spread wide, then clenched it suddenly.

The supermarket’s rolling shutter slammed shut as if pulled by an invisible force.

“Cool!” Yu Yue exclaimed.

Li Luyan leaned against the checkout counter, breathing heavily. “But this has a downside; it easily drains my powers.”

Lin Youwei spoke up, her gaze scrutinizing. “So, how much can you store?”

Li Luyan lowered her eyelids.

Of course, she wouldn’t tell them that her awakened ability not only stored items but could also control living beings.

After all, only by keeping her trump cards hidden could she survive longer.

Besides, they had just met—soon enough, they might go their separate ways. The most foolish person was the one who revealed all their secrets.

“About enough to store supplies for a month... but I need to do a small test,” she said vaguely.

“A small test?”

Li Luyan curled her lips without further explanation. “Yu Yue, give me a flower.”

“Oh!” Yu Yue conjured a flower and handed it over without hesitation, not even asking why.

Li Luyan stored the flower inside her space. Only then did she belatedly realize something.

Why was this girl wearing just a tank top...

“...Yu Yue,” she said, her face darkening as she turned away. “Put on some clothes first.”

Though they were all girls, they weren’t that close yet.

Yu Yue looked down at her bloodstained upper body.

She casually grabbed the soaked T-shirt, wringing it out. Dark red blood dripped onto the floor.

“Can’t wear it. It’s all sticky with blood and some disgusting slime.”

She frowned, shook the shirt, then turned to Lin Youwei. “Senior, the work uniforms are on the lowest shelf. Can you help me get one?”

Lin Youwei frowned, rummaging through the shelves before pulling out a fluorescent orange vest.

She tossed it over; the vest landed on Yu Yue’s head. “This is all we have. Ugly as hell.”

Yu Yue shook out the vest and noticed the “Homey Supermarket” logo printed on it.

“From med student to cashier now, haha.”

Yu Yue quickly put on the vest.

“Pfft.” Li Luyan turned her head away, her shoulders trembling suspiciously.

“What are you laughing at!” Yu Yue blushed, clutching the large logo on her chest, though it was too big to cover. “You look like a movie serial killer with that axe.”

Li Luyan glanced down at her white shirt splattered with black blood and smirked. “Same to you. I’m the killer; you’re the cleaner being chased.”

Yu Yue: “So, what now? Leave campus?”

“Fine.” Li Luyan stored the axe back into her space and stood up.

Yu Yue’s stomach growled at the worst moment. Li Luyan shot him a glare. “Are you sure we’re leaving now?”

She covered her abdomen and smiled sheepishly. “Uh... are you guys hungry?”

No one responded.

...

Yu Yue tugged on Lin Youwei’s sleeve. “Senior, are you hungry?”

Lin Youwei pulled back her sleeve. “I’m not hungry. Don’t pull me.”

Li Luyan sighed silently and threw a pack of compressed biscuits from her space.

Yu Yue caught them and ripped open the package in seconds, ravenously devouring the biscuits.

“Have you been starving for days? I thought the campus was normal yesterday,” Lin Youwei rolled her eyes, questioning.

“Hey... I just used a lot of energy fighting monsters,” Yu Yue scratched his head embarrassedly.

Lin Youwei stared at Li Luyan for two seconds, suddenly reaching out and turning her head aside. “I want some too.”

Yu Yue: “But senior, you said you weren’t hungry.”

Lin Youwei: “Now I am, isn’t that allowed?”

Li Luyan said nothing, tossing two compressed biscuits her way.

Yu Yue’s mouth was stuffed, mumbling, “I’m starving... Luyan, you’re like my second parent...” He even clasped his hands sincerely over his chest.

“Shut up,” Li Luyan turned away and handed him a bottle of water.

Yu Yue took it and suddenly brightened. “Wait, I have a bold idea!” She swallowed the biscuits in a few gulps. “Since I can create plants, can I conjure something edible?”

Without hesitation, she opened her palm, and a small tomato seedling sprouted, still bearing unripe green tomatoes.

She awkwardly withdrew her hand. “Looks like... they’re not ripe yet.”

Lin Youwei rubbed her forehead, utterly speechless. “Do you think you’re a mobile garden?”

“So what? It’s better than being a dead weight,” Yu Yue retorted.

“Actually, eating fruits and vegetables might be possible,” Li Luyan spoke calmly, her voice even.

“How? They’re not ripe,” Yu Yue and Lin Youwei said in unison.

“Simple. Give me the unripe seedlings. I’ll plant them inside my space.”

Lin Youwei’s eyes widened. “Your space can even be a garden?”

Yu Yue hooked her arm around Li Luyan’s neck. “Amazing! Luyan, I hereby declare you the Star of the Apocalypse!”

Li Luyan expressionlessly pushed her away. “Let go, cleaner.”

“You! You’re still the killer.”

Lin Youwei covered her mouth, laughing softly as she watched them.

Yu Yue: “Why are you laughing, weakling?”

Lin Youwei pouted. “Cleaner, so what if I laugh?” Then she smiled broadly, clearly amused.

Li Luyan felt her head about to explode. These two were like ducks.

“Shut up.” Her voice was flat but silenced them both.

Not even three minutes of peace passed.

“By the way, you said your space can grow vegetables, right?” Yu Yue rubbed her hands excitedly.

Li Luyan: “In theory, yes. There’s a patch of soil inside.”

“Then what are we waiting for!” Yu Yue leaned in eagerly, counting on her fingers. “What do you want? Tomatoes, cucumbers? Sweet potatoes... oh, potatoes! I love potatoes. How about peppers? Then we can have spicy and sour shredded potatoes...”

Li Luyan subtly stepped back half a step. “Let’s start with crops that grow quickly, like lettuce or Chinese cabbage. About twenty days to harvest.”

Lin Youwei cast an inquisitive look. “Luyan... are you in management or agriculture?”

Li Luyan replied lightly, “I helped my grandmother with gardening when I was a kid.”

Yu Yue hugged Li Luyan tightly. “Luyan, how are you so fair-skinned?”

Lin Youwei rolled her eyes. “She already said it was when she was little.”

Li Luyan frowned and pushed Yu Yue away.

“Let’s plant first.”